YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–Quoting the Public Relations Department of the Armenian Ministry of the Interior and National Security–Armenian National TV reported that last year’s attempted murder of the leader of the "Avan" community in Yerevan–Ruben Hairapetian was committed by the officers of the Ministry of the Interior and National Security–Karen Hovhannissian and Sergey Mkrtichian. The two had earlier committed the murder of Herman Vardapetian. Yerevan resident Avetis Khachatrian was charged as an accomplice in the attempted murder.
The investigation into the case showed that the murder was ordered by former director of the "Armtabak" enterprise Lidiya Sargssian and her 26-year-old son Ashot Sargssian–who paid the assassins $40,000.
Immediately after receiving the information–the operative group was sent to bring the mother and her son to the police. But Ashot Sargssian offered resistance to the policemen and tried to escape. In his "Vaz" automobile–he deliberately ran into a police car. As a result–four policemen were taken to hospital with bodily injuries. Lives of the people who were nearby at the moment were also exposed to danger. Ashot Sargssian also received an injury and was taken to hospital. All the members of the criminal group have been arrested; the Prosecutor’s Office of Armenia is conducting investigation into the case.
Hayrapetian’s murder suspects have not been charged yet–the Prosecutor General’s Office said.